George and MaryAnn Lustig were trapped in their yard without electric or help to move the trees from the storm damage in Cumberland County on June 30, 2012 (Staff Photo by Cathy Cramer/The News of Cumberland County)

CHEERS: To the volunteers gathering today to help Cumberland County residents remove the debris remaining from that deadly storm a few weeks back. Fallen trees and other damage can still be seen on many properties in our area, and the New Jersey Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) hopes to help elderly residents in Cumberland and Atlantic counties beginning today. This campaign will continue through Aug. 18, so if you need assistance, call 211, then choose extension 21. We only get through these disasters by helping each other. Thankfully, groups like VOAD exist to help residents through these rough times. We thank them for their service over these next several weeks.

JEERS: To Bridgeton City Council for voting itself a raise this week. Council approved $3,000 raises for council members and the mayor on Tuesday night. Mayor Albert Kelly is considering a veto of the plan, and we hope he uses that authority. Better yet, we hope council thinks better of its decision and rescinds the plan. We think council is doing a good job, and this move is out of character for a group that seems pretty connected to the community it serves. We see plenty of hard work from these leaders, but we question the wisdom of pursuing a raise during a time when many residents are going without jobs, let alone raises. These remain extremely difficult economic times. The much-hoped-for turnaround hasn’t arrived yet. All these raises will do is anger taxpayers and give council critics an outstanding piece of campaign propaganda. Drop this plan.

JEERS: To the copper thief who broke into a South Pine Street house in Bridgeton this week with the intention of cutting the pipes and creating a costly mess for the homeowner. Well, we wish we could have seen this guy’s face when he discovered the home’s piping was all PVC. How great is that? Copper thefts from homes in Bridgeton are a major problem, and while police have made several arrests in these crimes, the trouble continues. It’s just one more reason to invest in good door and window locks.

CHEERS: To enhanced efforts to spread the word about dangerous weather events. As a line of strong storms advanced across the region Wednesday afternoon, various agencies issued warnings to take precautions. Thanks to smartphones and social media, the avenues to share urgent information are expanding. Even the power company sent out an alert, explaining that it was getting ready in case the storms brought damage. Thankfully, the weather wasn’t terribly ferocious, but the storm of three weeks ago has clearly gotten everyone’s attention. There is plenty we can do to help protect residents from wicked weather. As an old TV show introduction declared, “We have the technology.” Let’s put it to good use.